Double bunk bed construction



Dec. 25, 1956 Filed March 31, 1955 E. ROSS 2,774,976

DOUBLE BUNK BED CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Eli Ross INVENTOR.

Dec. 25, 1956 E. Ross 2,774,976

DOUBLE BUNK BED CONSTRUCTION Filed March 31, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v Fig.4 3 1 46 x f I ZDI/IQ E 0:

20' r-- --E -j I (I'III'IIIIA r: III'IIIII" I IIWII'II'IIIIIIIII'III,

Eli Ra s's IN VEN TOR.

BY m -M w United States Patent Eli Ross, Klamath Falls, Oreg., assignor of five percent to Ruth C. Sullivan, Klamath Falls, Oreg.

Application March 31, 1955, Serial No. 498,317 2 Claims. (Cl. -9)

This invention is related generally to a bunk bed construction, and is more particularly directed to a bunk bed construction which incorporates two mattress supporting members positioned in horizontal planes one above the other, the lower of said members being stationary, and the other being movable in a circular path relative to the lower support member wherein said upper mattress support member is available to aid in themaking up of the bed, and including means wherein the upper mattress support member is returned to its original position utilizing relatively little eifort.

A further object of invention in conformance with that set forth above is to provide in such a double bunk bed construction means for supporting the upper mattress support member on pivotal support members, wherein resilient means cooperate with said pivotal support members for urging the first mattress support member to its original elevated position.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of the novel double bunk bed construction;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a further enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of the power transmitting and spring compressing chain of the novel construction;

Figure 4 is an enlarged end view with portions being broken away for clarity; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on line 5-5 of Figure l.

A double bunk bed assembly is indicated generally at including a lower rectangular mattress supporting member 12 having secured to each of its corners in any suitable manner upwardly extending support legs 14. Secured transversely between opposite pairs of the legs 14 and the ends of the double bunk bed assembly are power assemblies 16 which have pivotally secured thereon the upper mattress supporting member 18 as will subsequently become apparent.

The power assemblies 16 are secured to the legs 14 in any suitable manner, by means of the fastener bolts 20, for example, each of said power assemblies including a pair of dished-out side plate members 22 and 24 which terminate in over-lying end flanges 26 through which the bolts may pass. It will be noted in Figure 5, that the flanges 26 of the side plate 22 includes surfaces in juxtaposition with the legs 14 thus adding rigidity to the double bunk bed assembly. The side elements 22 and 24 may include inwardly directed portions 28 which add rigidity to the power assemblies, and may also include suitable apertures therethrough through which extend fastening bolts 30.

Secured upon the upper and lower edges of the side ICC elements 22 and 24 are tubular spring containing elements 32 each of which including a longitudinally extended slotted portion 34 which opens into the interior of the power assembly 16. The tubular elements 32 are retained upon the side plates 22 and 24 by means of suitable bracket elements 36.

Iournalled within the power assemblies 16 on transversely extending stub shafts 38 are spur gears 40, the gears being suitably secured to the shafts 38 and rotatable therewith. The shafts, it will be noted include inwardly facing head portions 42 which have secured thereto and pivotal therewith a lever element 44 which is pivotally secured to a pivot element 46 on the upper mattress supporting member 18. Thus, it will be seen that the upper supporting member 18 may be rotated in a circular path relative to the lower mattress supporting member 12, the circular path being defined by the links 44, and when the upper mattress supporting members is pivoted in such a circular path, the gears 40 will rotate with the shafts 38. It will be noted that the shafts 38 are secured on the power assembly by means of transverse cotter pins 48 extending therethrough. Pivotal movement between the upper mattress supporting member 18 and the pivotal links 44 may be prevented by a transversely extending stop element 50, as seen in Figure 2, which extends through the element 44 and into a suitable aperture 52 in the mattress supporting member 18.

The spur gears 40 include, entrained thereon a link chain or power transmitting chain 54, which coordinates rotary movement of the two gears. The chain 54 includes a specially constructed link 56 which has secured thereon an upwardlyextending lug portion 58 having a transverse aperture 60 in the upper portion thereof. Each of the tubular elements 32 include therein a compression spring 62 which has one end 64 extending through the aperture 60 in the upwardly extending lug element 58. Thus, it is believed readily apparent that when the stop elements 50 are removed from the cooperating apertures 52 in the upper mattress supporting member, rotary movement in a counter-clockwise direction is indicated by the dotted circular line of Figure 4, the lug elements 58 will move the chain 54 toward the left pressing the spring 62 within the tubular element 32. Of course, the compression on the spring 62 in the lower tubular element 32 will be toward the right. After the bed has been made up, it is relatively simple to rotate the upper mattress supporting member 18 to the position shown in Figure 4, the spring 62 aiding in such movement.

The power assemblies on each of the ends of the double bunk bed are synchronized, or are of the same strength in order that the power assemblies will operate properly.

Adjustment may be accomplished in the chain 54 inasmuch as the special link 56 is secured to one of the adjacent links 66 by means of a threaded stem 68 which is secured to a nut 70 which is rotatable on said shaft 68 through the cooperating slots 72 in the special link 56.

Thus, it is believed readily apparent that there has been disclosed a novel double bunk bed construction fully conforming with the objects of invention heretofore set forth.

Various positional directional terms such as front," rear, etc., are utilized herein and intended to have only a relative connotation to aid in describing the device and are not intended to be interpreted as requiring any particular orientation with respect to any external elements.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A double bunk bed construction comprising a lower mattress supporting member supported at each end by pairs of upwardly extending support legs, an upper mattress support member rotatably supported by said support legs, means connected between said upper mattress support member and said support legs for permitting said upper support member to be rotated downwardly and toward the lower mattress support member, embodying transverse support members connected to the support legs adjacent the opposite ends of the double bunk bed, and pairs of link elements pivotally connected between said upper mattress support member and said transverse support member, said link elements defining a rotary path of the upper mattress support member relative to the lower mattress support member, said transverse support member including pairs of transversely disposed gear memhers rotatably mounted on stub shafts extending through said transverse support member, said link elements being secured and rotatable with said stub shafts, chain elements entrained over said gears, compression spring means carried on said transverse support members, and means extending between said chain and compression spring means for compressing said springs when the upper mattress support member is rotated towards said lower mattress support member.

2. A double bunk bed construction as set forth in claim 1 including means between the link elements and the upper mattress support member for preventing relative movement therebetween.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

